Twins

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Why are people so charmed by twins?

Already in the maternity ward people would smile at our babies, smile at us and exclaim – mazal tov! Are they a boy and a girl?

It always surprised us. This is the maternity ward, everybody here just had a baby! Why did new parents treat us as though we were more deserving of a mazal tov than they?

You would think that twins in Israel is a rare phenomenon, but it isn’t! Another pair of twins was born in our ward the very next day! And the walls of the ward have many pictures of triplets and even quadruplets that were born here!

And nowadays when we walk down the street with our twin baby carriage, people stop us all the time to look, smile at our babies and exclaim – how cute! Sometimes people stop in front of our carriage in order to look – men, women, even children – forcing us to stop walking until they allow us to proceed. And almost always they ask – is it a boy and a girl?

Why this question? Do our babies look like a boy and a girl? We don’t think so. Perhaps people fantasize that the perfect pair would be a boy and a girl. So we disappoint them. Sorry. Only two boys. That seems to comfort them. It is not perfect but two boys are good enough.

People start conversations with us on the street. A woman asks Rita – My daughter is expecting twins, what’s it like? Can you give her some advice?

Parents walking with children stop in front of us and ignore us as they tell their children… See the twins? Aren’t they cute?

I may be in a bad mood. I may be in a hurry. Rita and I may be in the middle of a fight. And yet when we walk down the street with our twin baby carriage, how can I possibly stay angry or upset when people stop to smile at me, to smile at our babies, to give me their blessings that we should raise our children in good health?

Normally I am a shy person and it is difficult for me to be under the spotlights, but when I am with the babies I become a public figure! A star must endure being smiled at and he must smile back. I must endure being stopped, being asked questions, having our babies admired.

Rita, on the other hand, loves the attention. She walks down the street feeling like the president of the United States waving at people who are lining up the streets to greet her. Or like the pope dispensing blessings. She would love nothing more than to stand on the terrace with the twins, sprinkle holy water on the cheering crowds below and to say – God bless you my children!

With all the smiles and blessings that our babies receive, how can they help being happy children?

About the Author

David Wolf writes about his experience of being a second-time husband and father. He has a daughter from his first marriage, and, with his second wife, has accrued three daughters, two sons-in-law, one grandchild and twin 8-year-old sons. He is a social worker in a mental health department and in private practice in Raanana.